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☆ The year of the restaurant robot: Why chains are investing in automation and what it means for workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

This year brought a flurry of automation announcements in the restaurant industry as operators scrambled to find solutions to a shrinking workforce and climbing wages. Three-quarters of restaurant operators are facing staffing shortages that keep them from operating at full capacity, according to the National Restaurant Association. Many restaurant operators hiked wages to attract workers, but that pressured profits at a time when food costs were also climbing. "Automation is one word, and a lot of people go right to robotics and a robot flipping burgers or making fries. The labor questionAutomation often faces pushback from workers and labor advocates, who see it as a way for employers to eliminate jobs.

☆ This Local Library Is an Overnight Social-Media Sensation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Ann-Marie Alcántara | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Milwaukee Public Library started its TikTok account in June. It already has millions of views and accumulated more than 85,000 followers. An older woman walks up to the library’s manga graphic-novel section. More text appears: “I’m 90.”The 12-second video produced by the Milwaukee Public Library has attracted more than 10 million views across TikTok and Instagram since November. A quick scroll through the library’s TikTok videos reveals a host of memes and pop-culture parodies featuring Wednesday Addams, Amelia Bedelia and a gaggle of “Stranger Things” cast wannabes.

☆ 'It’s corn!,' 'Dark Brandon' and 'girl explaining': A look at the most notable memes of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | Kalhan Rosenblatt | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Here's NBC News' roundup of the 10 most notable memes of 2022. 'Dark Brandon'The meme, which started on Twitter in early 2022, depicts President Joe Biden as a laser-eyed edge-lord. 'Girl explaining'The "girl explaining" meme actually began going viral in 2019 in Spanish-speaking circles, according to Know Your Meme. Whether it's explaining what the Inflation Reduction Act is or why the Brooklyn Library is "fine free," the most shouty memes of 2022 were conveyed through the "girl explaining." That's because the corn kid, a 7-year-old named Tariq, became one of the year's most viral memes.

☆ Here's a map of Starbucks stores that voted to unionize
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A year ago, workers at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York, voted to unionize, a first for the chain. In the past year, more than 260 Starbucks stores have voted in favor of unionizing, giving the union a win rate of 80%, according to data from the National Labor Relations Board. In April, as the union movement continued to gain steam, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson announced he would retire. Starbucks has also fired organizers for unrelated infractions, closed a handful of union stores and withheld higher pay and enhanced benefits from baristas at unionized locations. Cathy Creighton, director of Cornell University's Industrial and Labor Relations branch in Buffalo, said that companies often use delay tactics to frustrate unions and take away momentum.

☆ Candy maker Ferrero to buy Halo Top owner, expanding North American business
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Candy maker Ferrero is buying Wells Enterprises, the ice cream giant that owns Blue Bunny, Blue Ribbon Classics and Halo Top. Comfort food staples like ice cream and candy saw their sales soar during the pandemic as consumers looked for ways to treat themselves. For its part, Ferrero reported global consolidated revenue of 12.7 billion euros ($13.3 billion) in its fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2021. Wells Enterprises was founded in 1913 and has grown to be the second-largest ice cream company in the U.S., trailing only Ben & Jerry's owner Unilever . Wells makes more than 200 million gallons of ice cream annually and has more than 4,000 employees.

☆ McDonald's hopes deals like 50-cent double cheeseburgers beef up sales on its mobile app
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Last holiday season, McDonald's leaned on singer Mariah Carey's starpower and discounts to drive customers to their mobile app. The chain is also offering exclusive access to branded merch releases and deals on food, like a 50-cent double cheeseburger. The three-week-long promotion, which began Monday, is part of the company's broader digital strategy to drive traffic to its mobile app through seasonal promotions and create recurring revenue without sacrificing profitability. In recent years, restaurant companies have turned to loyalty programs to drive downloads of their mobile app and convince customers to keep coming back. For comparison, Starbucks , which has had a loyalty program for more than a decade, reported 28.7 million active U.S. members during its latest quarter.

☆ PepsiCo plans to cut hundreds of corporate jobs, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

PepsiCo is eliminating hundreds of corporate jobs in North America, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company's beverage unit is expected to be hit harder by the cuts because the snacks unit already shrank its workforce through a voluntary retirement program, according to the Journal. Pepsi employed 309,000 people worldwide as of Dec. 25, with more than 40% of those jobs located in the U.S., according to a company regulatory filing. Several food and beverage companies have also cut jobs, including Beyond Meat , Impossible Foods and PepsiCo's main rival Coca-Cola . In November, Coke said it would restructure its North American business through a voluntary separation program that included buyouts.

The Sitarmakers of Miraj, India, have been crafting musical instruments out of pumpkins for almost 200 years. They are known for making the tanpura, a string instrument used by classical singers. But lately, cheaper electronic instruments have been threatening their business. They are known for making the tanpura, a string instrument used by classical singers to find the perfect tone. The family gained a reputation for high-quality handmade instruments over seven generations.

☆ Andreessen Horowitz's buzzy tech publication Future is shutting down
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Rob Price | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

A source familiar with Andreessen Horowitz's content strategy confirmed to Insider that Future is shutting down. An Andreessen Horowitz spokesperson declined to comment on the record. Joe LonsdaleIn this new climate, many tech and venture firms' media strategy has shifted from glorified marketing to a more full-fledged editorial operation. In 2021, an army of more than two dozen marketers at Andreessen Horowitz doubled down on this approach. Disclosure: Melia Russell's husband is a former employee of Andreessen Horowitz.

☆ A millennial investor who built a 25-unit real-estate portfolio in one year breaks down how she financed it — and how she uses social media to source deals
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

She started by searching for investing strategies online, then using social media to source deals. Amelia McGee wants you to know how simple it is to get started in real-estate investing. How McGee uses social media in real estate investingYou might have guessed that social media plays in big role in McGee's real-estate endeavors. It's a 27% cash on cash return and cash flows over $2,000 a month.' But McGee uses social media to find tenants as well as partners.

☆ London’s rental market has become a ‘nightmare.’ Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“I think that I sent over 100 messages to different ads, and I only had [a] reply to 30 messages,” she told CNN Business. ‘You can’t hesitate’Matt Hutchinson, communications director at SpareRoom, told CNN Business that the capital has seen a “huge influx” of students, young people and overseas workers in recent months — demand that the pandemic kept bottled up. Landlords have been leaving the rental market as it becomes less and less profitable. Savills expects the average London rent — across all property types — to jump another 5.5% next year. Sally Vince, who works in commercial property, told CNN Business that after a “very stressful” time looking for her £700 ($832) room this summer, she took what she could get.

☆ Inflation forces mom and pop restaurants and chains like McDonald's to lean on their strengths
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In response to that drop-off, both chains and independents are working to address the cost factor without alienating diners. Aaron Allen, founder and CEO of restaurant consultancy Aaron Allen & Associates, compared restaurant chains to oil tankers and independents to speedboats. Kate Bruce, owner of The Buttery Bar in Brooklyn, said she's been facing higher costs for everything from labor to cooking oil to energy. Portillo's restaurant chain CEO Michael Osanloo said independents do have greater flexibility when it comes to changing prices. Consumers care more about prices when they're visiting a chain restaurant, according to findings from a survey of roughly 2,400 U.S. consumers conducted by PYMNTS.

☆ Starbucks union to strike at more than 100 locations on Red Cup Day, one of the chain’s busiest days of the year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Workers at more than 100 unionized Starbucks locations plan to strike on Thursday, one of the chain’s biggest sales days of the year. The giveaway on the coffee chain’s Red Cup Day has become a must-have for collectors, and this year’s event marks its 25th anniversary. It’s the largest collective action Starbucks Workers United has taken so far in its organizing push over the past year. Over the past 12 months, roughly 260 company-owned Starbucks locations have voted to unionize under Workers United, an affiliate of Service Employees International Union. But Starbucks Workers United contend the company hasn’t been bargaining in good faith.

☆ Starbucks union to strike at more than 100 locations on Red Cup Day, one of the chain's busiest days of the year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's the largest collective action Starbucks Workers United has taken so far in its organizing push over the past year. On Thursday, organizers at 113 striking locations are planning to protest and distribute a version of the red cup featuring the Grinch's hand holding an ornament with the logo of the Starbucks union. Workers at more than 100 unionized Starbucks locations plan to strike on Thursday, one of the chain's biggest sales days of the year. Over the past 12 months, roughly 260 company-owned Starbucks locations have voted to unionize under Workers United, an affiliate of Service Employees International Union. But Starbucks Workers United contend the company hasn't been bargaining in good faith.

☆ Burger King owner Restaurant Brands taps former Domino's CEO Patrick Doyle as chair
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Restaurant Brands International announced Wednesday that it is tapping former Domino's Pizza CEO Patrick Doyle as its executive chair. Doyle's appointment comes as Restaurant Brands tries to turn around Burger King's U.S. business. The Brazilian private equity firm took Burger King private in 2010, merged it with Tim Hortons in 2014 and named the new company Restaurant Brands International. To receive the performance share units, Restaurant Brands' stock will have to compound annually at least 6%, with the payout increasing if shares rise 10% and 15% annually. After leaving Domino's, Doyle joined the Carlyle Group as an executive partner focused on acquisitions.

☆ Tyson CFO apologizes after arrest for allegedly drunkenly entering woman’s home and sleeping in her bed
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Tyson Foods CFO John Tyson apologized to investors on Monday for his arrest for public intoxication and trespassing. A woman who did not know him allegedly found him asleep in her bed around 2 a.m., according to the preliminary arrest report. Tyson, 32, is also the great-grandson of founder John W. Tyson. He was tapped as chief financial officer of the meat giant in late September after serving as the company’s chief sustainability officer. The company’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings fell short of Wall Street’s estimates, but its revenue topped estimates.

☆ Tyson CFO apologizes to investors after arrest for public intoxication, trespassing
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tyson Foods CFO John Tyson apologized to investors on Monday for his arrest for public intoxication and trespassing. Tyson, who is the son of the company's chairman John H. Tyson, was arrested early the morning of Nov. 6 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Tyson, 32, is also the great-grandson of founder John W. Tyson. He was tapped as chief financial officer of the meat giant in late September after serving as the company's chief sustainability officer. The company's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings fell short of Wall Street's estimates, but its revenue topped estimates.

☆ Keurig Dr Pepper CEO resigns after violating company's code of conduct
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Keurig Dr Pepper announced Thursday that CEO Ozan Dokmecioglu agreed to resign after violating the company's code of conduct, less than four months into the job. Keurig Dr Pepper's board reappointed Bob Gamgort, chairman and former CEO, as chief executive. Keurig Dr Pepper's stock has risen 3% this year, increasing its market value to $54.4 billion. Prior to becoming CEO, Dokmecioglu served as chief financial officer for the company, helping Keurig Green Mountain go private in 2016 and with its merger with Dr Pepper Snapple in 2018. Its subsidiary Maple Holdings still holds a 33% stake in Keurig Dr Pepper.

☆ KFC apologizes after Kristallnacht promotion in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A menu of a drive-in counter of a branch of the fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). KFC apologized this week for sending a mobile app alert telling German customers to "treat yourself" on Kristallnacht. Kristallnacht, or the night of broken glass, refers to the pogroms against Jewish people in Germany and Austria carried out by Nazis in November 1938. On Wednesday, the Yum Brands chain sent a notification that reportedly said "It's memorial day for Kristallnacht! The fried-chicken chain said that it uses a bot linked to national observances to create notifications for its mobile app.

☆ Beyond Meat reports wider-than-expected loss, falling revenue and cuts sales outlook
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Beyond Meat "Beyond Burger" patties made from plant-based substitutes for meat products sit on a shelf for sale in New York City. Beyond Meat on Wednesday reported a wider-than-expected loss for its third quarter as demand for its meat substitutes tumbled. It now expects 2022 sales between $400 million to $425 million, down from its prior outlook of $470 million to $520 million. The company's U.S. food service business was the only division to report sales growth, rather than declines, for the quarter. The company reported a third-quarter net loss of $101.7 million, or $1.60 per share, wider than its net loss of $54.8 million, or 87 cents per share, a year earlier.

☆ Sweetgreen shares tumble after salad chain lowers revenue outlook
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Sweetgreen fell 10% in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the salad chain reported a wider-than-expected loss and lowered its full-year revenue outlook. For 2022, the company now anticipates its revenue will be at or below its prior range of $480 million to $500 million. This marks the second consecutive quarter that it has lowered its revenue outlook. In the third quarter, Sweetgreen said its same-store sales rose 6%, boosted entirely by menu price hikes. Sweetgreen reported fiscal third-quarter net loss of $47.4 million, or 43 cents per share, wider than its net loss of $30.1 million, or $1.58 per share, a year earlier.

☆ Tyson Foods CFO arrested for public intoxication, falling asleep in the wrong house
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tyson Foods CFO John Tyson was arrested early Sunday in Arkansas after allegedly becoming intoxicated and falling asleep in the wrong house. Tyson, 32, was charged with public intoxication and trespassing and booked in Washington County jail. Tyson Foods is headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas. Tyson is the son of the company's chairman, John H. Tyson, and the great-grandson of founder John W. Tyson. Tyson is the second prominent C-suite food executive to be arrested in Washington County over the last two months.

☆ Sweetgreen is launching its first national dessert — a 'healthy' take on the Rice Krispies Treat
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sweetgreen is launching its take on Rice Krispies Treats, its first dessert since 2014. The Crispy Rice Treat is available nationwide starting Monday for $2.95. To create the new dessert, Sweetgreen teamed up with pastry chef Malcolm Livingston II as the company's first chef in residence. Jammet said he met Livingston a few years ago in Copenhagen and he stayed in touch with the pastry chef. It was a "no-brainer" to start with a version of the Rice Krispies Treat given the nostalgia it evokes, Livingston said.

☆ Earnings playbook: How to trade results from Disney and 3 electric car makers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Monday Palantir Technologies is set to report earnings before the bell, followed by a conference call at 8 a.m. Tuesday Disney is set to report earnings after the bell, followed by a conference call at 4:30 p.m. Lucid is set to report earnings after the close, with a management call set for 5:30 p.m. Rivian is set to report earnings after the close, with management holding a call at 5 p.m. Beyond Meat is set to report earnings after the bell, followed by a conference call at 5 pm.

☆ Starbucks earnings beat expectations as consumers spend more in its U.S. stores
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Starbucks on Thursday reported quarterly earnings and revenue that topped analysts' estimates, fueled by U.S. customers spending more on their orders. In the United States, Starbucks reported same-store sales growth of 11%, which was the result of people spending more on average and a slight uptick in traffic. The company's international same-store sales fell 5%, which wasn't as steep as the 7.1% expected decline, according to StreetAccount. Same-store sales in China, Starbucks' second-largest market, fell 16% in the quarter. Additionally, it's projecting that global and U.S. same-store sales will rise 7% to 9% annually.

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